Seashells and secrets
by xUltimate-Fangirlx
Summary: A Finnick and Annie love story; Finnick has to repay the Capitol in some way. Unfortunately, their plans leave Finnick in a tangle of lies. He has secrets, some given to him, and some of his own.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Fanfic, so bear with me :) I know this first chapter is short, but there will be longer ones! Please review and tell me how I'm doing, or if I should make any changes. I'm all for constructive criticism! That being said, enjoy!**

The door slams. I feel the warm, heavy air as I breathe it through my nose. My palms are moist with sweat. _Finn, you've done this before. It's not a big deal._ It's true, I have done this before. But honestly, it's not like I enjoy it. You might call me a liar, but none of this is fun. None of this is really who I am. I don't like selling myself to these people, to the Capitol. _Finn, it's okay, just think of what you have to do._ What I have to do. What I _have_ to do. Of course, I have no other choice. If the Capitol tells you to stand, you stand. If the Capitol tells you to jump, you jump. No obligation. It's the same for this. If the Capitol tells me that I must meet up with their women, I must. I have no other choice.

In front of me is a bed, which I've seen far too many times before. I cautiously sit down atop its comforter. The bed has 4 posts, and is painted in gold, high standard for the Capitol. I've gone through this routine again and again. Suddenly, the door opens. I cringe as a slender woman who I have never seen before walks in. She has dark hair, thin lips and wears a coat. As soon as she takes it off, I see that she is wearing a small white slip, with lace around the edges. I know what comes next. I know what to expect, because I've done this so many times before. Unfortunately, this is what happens, while a petite girl with red hair and a bright smile sits home thinking I am with my friends, or doing errands. Indeed, I am doing errands; just these ones are out of my control. These "errands" are vital if I want to keep that red haired girl, who they call Annie, safe. I love Annie, and I hate this. But, when the Capitol says give, you give.


	2. Chapter 2

**This is actually a pretty short chapter, it looked longer in document form! I'll try to make them longer. Hopefully this will give you an idea of what Finnick and Annie's relationship is like; they love each other, but there are still some obstacles and some things kept from each other. Please review and tell me how this is. I'd really like to improve!**

"Finnick?" I hear Annie's voice call out. She sounds so youthful and excited.

"Annie!" I smile, as I set down my bag and hug her small frame. She pulls away and takes my jacket off of my shoulders, hanging it up in our front closet. I look into the mirror hanging on the wall, and see that my bronze coloured hair is ruffled at the front. Annie notices too, and fixes it without question. I kiss her cheek, and she grins.

"How was your day?" she places her thin but comforting hands on my shoulders.

"Good," I reply. I'd rather not go into detail. I never do, and I never want to. I shake the thought from my head. "and yours?"

"Wonderful! I went to the market today, and bought us some fresh fruit and scallops." She notes, walking into the kitchen to pick up a bundle of grapes out of a bowl. She picks one and pops it in her mouth, smiling. "What did you do at work today?"

"Oh just the usual Capitol duties," I reply with a half answer, hoping I won't have to give a full one.

"What are those 'special duties' anyway?" Annie asks as she cuts up some apple. She hardly ever asks me about work. When she does, I usually reply with simple things, or tell her I'm not allowed to talk about my work with the Capitol. Basically, I lie to her, but it's true that I am not allowed to confess to her about my duties in the Capitol, so it's partially true. Lying, however, does not make it any easier, and I am always taken aback whenever I'm asked about what it is I do there.

"Oh, not very important stuff," I begin, trying to veer away from the subject.

"Well it must be important, Finn, if it involves the Capitol," she giggles. I feel my hands moisten with sweat, and wipe them off onto my shorts.

"Oh, just some paperwork. Nothing _that_ important." I stand behind her and wrap my arms around her small waist, in an effort to distract her from the conversation. Annie smells like the salt air by the coast, and her wispy red hair tickles my cheek. I love this girl, and I would never want to do anything to hurt her. Even though, I already have. But never mind that, that is beyond my control. What would really hurt her would be me not obeying the Capitol, and her suffering because of my actions, or lack thereof. I kiss her ear through her hair, and she turns around to face me.

"What are you doing?" she smiles up at me.

"What do you mean, what am I doing?" I playfully poke her cheek. She giggles and kisses me on the lips, wrapping her arms around my neck. I close the space between us, as she lays her head in the little nook between my shoulder and neck. We stand there for a while, just holding each other. Sometimes, we hold each other for a long time, without saying a word. This usually happens whenever one of us has a flashback, or a moment. What I mean is when one of us remembers the things we have gone through.

I won the 65th Hunger Games, and the sights I saw were ones no one should ever see. The things I did in order to stay alive, were things I don't enjoy calling to mind. Upon my victory, I became a mentor for future District 4 tributes. In the 70th Hunger Games however, I became a mentor for l6 year old Annie Cresta. During this time, I fell in love with her dark green eyes, dark red hair, and bright smile. However, I stopped myself from falling _in_ love with her, because I knew that she would be fighting to the death, and to be honest, I knew how brutal the arena was, and I didn't have the most faith in her. But even so, my feelings toward her were inevitable.

Annie was full of light, and always smiled. She was a loving, young, vibrant and beautiful girl. However, after her victory in the games, something changed. For a long time after her homecoming, she didn't talk. She very rarely ate or slept. She would just take a long walk to the beach, every morning, and sit. Sit, and watch the water as it calmly moved in ripples and waves. She sat there without saying a single word, day in, day out. From sunrise to sunset. Annie wasn't okay after the games. Some days, I would join her at the beach. I would try to talk to her a bit. I eventually had conversations with her, even though I fully knew she wouldn't reply. But I knew she was listening. I would tell her about funny things I'd heard, or things I would see at the Capitol. I wouldn't tell her everything I saw, though. I stuck with Annie for days, bringing blankets to her in case she was cold, and bringing a rope along with me so I would have something to do. I'd tie knots in the rope, and then untie them. And then tie a different knot, and untie it. I tried talking, but it was no use. She was out of it. I think they called it an ambiguous loss; when you lose a person that's there in body, but not really _there_ in mind. But I never left her side. I loved her.

One day, as I was working on a net, I felt a shift next to me. I looked over, to see Annie's green eyes examining my fingers as they worked at the rope. "Finnick," I heard her say, faintly. I remember I sat there forever, and as my eyes made contact with hers, our lips eventually made contact as well. Annie was back. I loved her.

Annie still isn't the same today. She has her moments. She sometimes does funny things without realizing, like hanging up coats inside out, or putting empty cans in the refrigerator. She sometimes laughs out of the blue, or cries without warning. Sometimes, she has a moment, closes her eyes and covers her ears. I think this is an attempt to block out the real world. Or maybe it's her way of blocking out the thoughts and voices that occupy her head. I don't know. She doesn't talk much about her past, or the games for that matter. But I love Annie nonetheless. And someday, I think, I may want a family with her.

"Finnick?" Annie interrupts my thoughts. I look to her as a sign that I'm listening. "I…" she stumbles for words, and makes an expression that says that she is thinking hard about what to say. She shakes her head for a minute, and then "Do you love me?"

I look into her eyes. They are a dark emerald green, with flecks of hazel. They are beautiful and bright and shining, just like the rest of her. "With all of my heart," I reply. The words come out of my mouth sounding really tacky and fake, but they are the whole truth. I really do love her. I rest my hand on the small of her back, and she looks away.

"But, do you really mean that, Finn?" She asks, looking back at me. Her eyes are moist. She must not believe me.

"Annie, of course I love you." I say simply. "I do, I really do. Always have and always will."

I press my lips to hers, and kiss her softly. I can feel her smiling through the kiss, and I smile too. She pulls away for a moment, and says in a voice barely above a whisper, almost inaudible, "I love you too, Finnick." She kisses my lips again.

I heard her, no doubt about it. And I believe her.


End file.
